In today’s Journal
* Happy Independence Day
* Squash Blossom
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Happy Independence Day
Here in the ‘States we celebrate our independence from England. It’s quite a kerfluffle over here, though I fear most of our citizens and permanent visitors have given up on the true meaning and gravitated more toward July 4 as a chance to blow stuff up and gorge on hotdogs and hamburgers.
As I wrote a few days ago, here’s wishing all of you a safe, enjoyable Independence Day. Enjoy the brats and burgers and ‘dogs and sodas and suds, but maybe make time to reflect for a moment on the freedoms to which we still manage to cling in this nation.
Today is also my bride’s birthday. After those festivities, we probably will visit a favorite antique mall in Sierra Vista.
Squash Blossom
Okay, don’t write me. This isn’t really a squash blossom and I’m aware of that. But it’s as beautiful as a squash blossom, and with the thorns, it’s even more indicative of Arizona and the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts.
Enjoy.
Talk with you later.
Of Interest
See “Scientific Consensus: The development of full artificial intelligence” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/the-development-of-full-artificial-intelligence/.
See “Chat GPT on Self-Publishing…” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/chat-gpt-on-self-publishing-via-kdp-earn-more-money/.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………………… 200
Writing of “A Midnight Sketch”
Day 1…… 1341 words. Total words to date…… 1341
Writing of Rose Padilla (WCG10SF5)
Day 1…… 4283 words. Total words to date…… 4283
Day 2…… 3963 words. Total words to date…… 8246
Day 3…… 1463 words. Total words to date…… 9709
Day 4…… 2445 words. Total words to date……12154
Total fiction words for July……… 1341
Total fiction words for 2023………… 111363
Total nonfiction words for July… 2800
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 134350
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 245713
Calendar Year 2023 Novels to Date…………………… 2
Calendar Year 2023 Novellas to Date……………… 0
Calendar Year 2023 Short Stories to Date………… 4
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 73
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 9
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……………………… 221
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31
Disclaimer: I am a prolific professional fiction writer. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark, adherence to Heinlein’s Rules, and that following the myths of fiction writing will slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.
While I have no idea what that plant really is, here on the high plains of west Texas I’ve always heard them referred to as pie melons.
My son used a plant identifier app to see that it’s a “Buffalo Bur” or “Mexican Thistle.” 🙂
Hey Harvey, I hope you and your family had a good July 4th celebration. I have a question for you.
I found an old piece of mine from a year ago that, for whatever reason, I forgot about and never finished, but rereading it gave me a new ‘fire’ so to speak to work on it again.
My question is, should I just jump right in? Or do you think where its in the past and I have new stories going I should let it lie?
Its weird for me to not finish a piece, but I guess we all let some ‘fall between the cracks’.
It sounds to me like you’re excited about finishing it, like finishing it would be fun. If that’s the case, read over it and finish it, by all means. Have fun with it.
Thanks for the reply Harvey. You’re right. Reading it got me excited but I was hesitant (most likely critical voice I see now) about starting it up again since it was ‘old’.
Luckily I kicked that to the curb and I worked on it for a few hours today and I had a blast. Looking forward to getting some more done on it tonight when I have free time.
Exactly the right response to critical voice, as you know. Unfortunately, the critical voice never tires of giving up opportunities to practice pushing it down. (grin)